Telephone coin collector



July 20, 1937. H c, BAUM 2,087,312

TELEPHONE COIN COLLECTOR Filed Nov. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l M l [A/ 70/? H C. HAUM July 20, 1937. H. BAUM 87,

TELEPHONE COIN COLLECTOR Filed Nov. 14, 1955 wvmroa /7 C. BA UM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K Patented July 20, 1937 UNETED TELEPHONE COIN COLLECTOR Henry C. Baum,

Electric Company,

Cicero, IlL, assignor to Western Incorporated, New York,

6 Ciaims.

This invention relates to telephone coin collectors, and more particularly to supporting and positioning means for certain parts of telephone coin collectors.

In one type of telephone coin collectoras disclosed, for example, in the U. S. patent to O. F. Forsberg, 1,043,219, issued November 5, 1912, a lower housing, fixed to a mounting plate, has mounted thereon an upper housing which carries upon its opposite inner side walls various devices, one of which is a coin chute, two points of support therefor being on one wall and a third on the opposite wall. Each of the mentioned walls also carries a coin signaling device and the wall carrying the two points of support for the coin chute also supports a conductor terminal mounting block. Heretofore the mentioned devices have been supported from the walls of the upper housing either by a plurality of brackets, each individually formed and predeterminedly positioned and attached to the walls of the housing or a combination of such brackets and lugs, the latter being formed integral with the housing in the forming thereof. in either of the described practices for supporting the devices upon the walls of the housing there are required many and widely different operations of production and positioning relative to each other, as well as upon the walls of the housing, of the individual brackets or brackets and lugs to provide the desired accurate relationship of the devices to each other and to the housing.

Objects of this invention are to improve the construction of and the method of constructing telephone coin collectors and more particularly to simplify the construction of supporting and positioning means for such devices included in telephone coin collectors to obtain a more accurate and economical assembly thereof.

One embodiment of this invention contemplates the provision in a telephone coin collector of a pair of cooperating one-piece combination brackets welded to inner opposed side walls of the upper housing of the coin collector, each of the brackets having a plurality of pressed or struck out portions designed singly and/or in combination to support and predeterminedly position relative to each other and the housing certain devices of the coin collector, such as the coin chute, coin signaling devices, and the conductor terminal block. One of the brackets is also formed with a portion serving as a cord guide and a portion which acts as a stop surface for the upper housing when lower housing and against the mounting plate.

it is positioned on the' The method of welding the edges of the top to the adjacent upper edges of the side walls of the upper housing at their junctions disclosed in the R. Polivka and R. C. Wendell, U. S. Patent 2,060,- 893, issued November 17, 1936, has also been improved as will appear more fully from the detailed description.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear view of an upper housing of a coin collector for a telephone pay station showing the supporting and positioning means of this invention employed therein;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken on the lines 2-2 and 3--3, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a blanked, formed and perforated metal sheet from which the housing is formed;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the housing after a forming operation on the blanked and perforated sheet shown in Fig. 4 with the adjacent edges of the housing ready to be welded;

Figs. 6 and '7 are enlarged horizontal sections 7 taken on the line 6-45 of Fig. 5 before and after, 0 respectively, the adjacent edges of the housing have been welded, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged horizontal sections taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 before and after, respectively, the adjacent edges of the housing have been welded.

In the drawings wherein an embodiment of this invention is shown employed in a coin collector for a telephone pay station of the general type disposed in the herein mentioned Forsberg patent only such parts of the coin collector have been illustrated, for the sake of simplicity, as are believed necessary to an understanding of this invention.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the numeral it indicates in general an upper housing for the telephone coin collector, the housing comprising a front wall portion it with integral side wall portions I7 and I8 and a top portion is, which is inclined downwardly at its forward portion toward the front wall. The front wall It is perforated at 22 for carrying a dial unit of the telephone station and also at 23 for' the securing of other parts thereto. Slots 2% 50 and 25 are formed in the side wall is for a telephone receiver cord and receiver hook, respectively, to extend therethrough. The inclined portion of the top 19 is provided with an elongated perforation 26 and a plurality of apertures 29 Cir for a coin gauge and receiving unit of the telephone pay station. A preferred method of forming and welding the upper edges of the side walls IT and 58 to the adjacent edges of the top IE will be described hereinafter. The present invention is concerned primarily with means for supporting and positioning certain devices of the telephone coin collector on the inner surfaces of the Wall portions i7 and 18 of the housing I5, such devices in the drawings being shown in a broken outline and are as follows: a coin chute 30, coin signaling devices 3! and 32, and a conductor terminal mounting block 33.

V In Fig. 1 cooperating combination supporting and positioning brackets 35 and 38 are shown fixed to the inner surfaces of the wall portions if and i 3, respectively, of the housing i5. Each of the brackets 35 and 35 comprises one integral piece of metal, preferably sheet steel, produced by suitable blanking; perforating and forming operations in accordance with known practices in the art of metal working. The bracket 35 (Figs. 1 and 2) includes an irregular shaped flat base 3? having struck out or formed at its upper end ears 38 provided with perforations 39 which are subsequently threaded for the reception of screws 45.. Intermediate the ears 38 and at the left thereof (Fig. 2) the base 3? has a portion or tongue 43 which is struck up toprovide an embossed or bridge portion is having a raised central locking ridge perforated at 416 and subsequently threaded for the reception of a. screw 4'].

At its lower end the base 31' is formed with an upwardly extending right angle portion 38 which is bent upon itself to provide a portion 5i? lying parallel to the base but raised therefrom, the portion 58 being perforated at its upper and lower ends, as indicated at 52, and subsequently threaded for the reception of screws 53. The upper end of the portion 59 at its right side (Fig. 2) is provided with a downwardly extending right angle portion 5a having its lower edge lying in the plane of the lower surface of the base 3?, the portion 54 being perforated at 5'5; The portions 8 and 5B of the bracket 35 are provided with an elongated perforation 58 for the purpose of providing clearance space for a plurality. of screws (not shown) extending from the rear face of the conductor terminal mounting block 33. Spaced from and at the left of the portion :38 (Fig. 2) the base 3? has struck up at right angles therefrom two ears 59 and 56, the upper edge surface of the l ear es lying in the plane of the upper surface of the portion 56. The left vertical surface of the ear 8i) (Fig. 2) serves as a stop surface for one "side of the upper housing i5, the surface engaging "t stop surface, provided on the mounting plate, when the upper housing is mounted on the lower housing. The opposite side of the upper housing 15 is also equipped with a similar stop surface formed on a coin refund chute (not shown).

The bracket 36 (Figs. 1 and 3) includes a base 63 having struck out or formed at its upper end :an ear 54 provided with a perforation 65 which ing, as indicated atlZ (Figs. 2 and 3). '76

is subsequently threaded for the reception of a screw 66. At its lower end the base 63 is formed or struck up to provide an embossed or bridge portion 67 perforatedat 68 which is subsequently threaded for the reception of a screw "i' l.

The cooperating brackets 35 and 36 are secured in predetermined positions upon the inner surfaces of the walls El and 53, respectively, of the housing i5, preferably by spot or projection weld- It will be noted, referring to- Fig. 1, that the upper ear 33 of the bracket 35 and the ear 64 of the bracket 36 are in horizontal alinement at opposite side walls of the housing it. With the mentioned ears of the brackets 35 and 35 in accurate desired relation to each other as well as to the housing I5 it follows that the coin chute 39 may be accurately and readily assembled with and secured in the housing by the screws ii) and 66 threaded into the ears stand 6d of the brackets. Before mounting the coin chute it is desirable for convenience to assemble and mount the other devices carried by the brackets 35 and 35. Thus the coin signaling device 32 is secured to the bridge 67 of the bracket 38 by means of the screw 7! the coin signaling device 35 to the bridge id of the bracket 35 by the screw ii, and the conductor terminal mounting block 33 to the portion 53 of the bracket 35 by the screws the terminal mounting block being supported at its left side (Fig. 2) by means of the ear 58 which has upper edge surface in the plane of the upper surface of the portion 58. The perforation 57 of the portion of the racket 35 serves as a guide for conductors l3 terminating at the block 35.

Referring to Figs. to 9, inclusive, which illustrate the preferred'method of forming and welding the upper edges of the side walls if and E8 to the adjacent edges of the top E9 of the housing 55, Fig. 4 shows a portion of a blanked, formed and perforated sheet of metal before it is folded along dotted lines shown in Fig. 4, and indicated at it, it, '5'! and '58, to the form shown in Fig. 5 and before the adjacent edges are welded. The side walls ii and 58 are thus bent at right angles to the front wall it and in parallel relation to each other. The top it is bent to conform to upper edges l'S-JQ and itfi-8fi of the side walls If and 58. It will be noted that the upper edge portions 8ii-8d of the side walls ill it. are slightly creased or curved at 8d and turned forwardly as viewed in Fig. the crease being at a greater radius as the outer corners are reached, and further that the adjacent edge portions of the top is are similarly slightly creased, as indicated at 85, for a length substantially the same as the creased portions 8 of the side wall edge portions 8Ei3@. Also, it will be noted that the V creased edge portions 35 of the top 59 are slightly plied, during the joining operation. The relation of the creased adjacent edge portions of the top l9 and side walls l? and 58 when the blanked sheet is folded is clearly shown. in Figs. 5 and 8, the adjacent edge faces being slightly spaced apart at their inner corners. The edge portions iii-19 of the side walls ii and it and the adjacent edge portions of the top is are disposed at right angles with the edge portions of the top [9 overlapping the side wall edge portions 'i'9lQ for substantially one-half their thickness, as clearly shown'in Figs. 5 and 6, when the blanked sheet is folded.

To secure the preformed adjacent edge portions of the side walls i? and i8 and top 59 together they are acetylene welded by merely fusing the adjacent edges together, without the use of additional Welding rod or material (Figs. 7 and 9). Due to the preforming of the edge portions of the side walls i? and i8 and top I9, as

indicated at 84, and 86, respectively, to provide formed outer corners, spaced apart in the manner shown in Fig. 8, a required greater radius of the corners at the rear portion of the housing, with an adequate thickness of material thereat, is obtained as compared to the front portion thereof and without the addition of welding material. The greater radius at the rear corners of the housing IS in the present embodiment is for the purpose of fitting it within an inner radius on a flange of the mounting plate which supports the housing. Also an improvement in the quality of theweld by providing a uniform thickness of material at the corners and a reduction in Welding and finishing costs of the housing it over a prior method wherein the adjacent outer edge'portions of the housing at 86 and 85 were burnt apart and then filled in from the outside with welding material,

is effected by the described method of joining the adjacent edges of the side walls I! and I8 and top l9.

It will be apparent that a telephone coin collector employing the herein described supporting and positioning means for the associated mentioned devices permits a more economical and accurate assembly thereof, within the housing, since by combining the points of support of the devices into a pair of cooperating brackets it is possible to maintain closer relationship between the supporting points, thus reducing the number of adjusting or' positioning operations required to meet the close limits for location of the devices relative to each other as Well as upon the walls of the housing. Also by combining the plurality of points of support of the devices into a simple pair of brackets the securing thereof to the walls of the housing is greatly simplified, since each of the combination brackets can be welded in position by a single stroke of a welding machine. Furthermore manufacturing costs are appreciably reduced by making a pair of cooperating one-piece combination brackets over the prior use of a plurality of individually formed brackets or a combination of brackets and lugs formed on the housing since the number of manufacturing operations necessary to produce the former are much fewer in number than the latter.

Although there is herein shown and described one specific embodiment of the. invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto except as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone pay station coin collector, a housing containing a coin chute and a coin signaling device, a metal bracket comprising a base plate secured to an inner face of the housing and having a portion formed at an angle thereto at one end for supporting the coin chute, and an embossed portion formed on and intermediate the ends of the base plate and extending in the direction of its length for supporting a coin signaling device.

2. In a telephone pay station coin collector, a housing containing a coin chute and a coin signaling device, a metal bracket comprising a base plate secured to an inner face of the housing and having an ear formed at right angles thereto at one end for supporting the coin chute, and a bridge portion formed on and intermediate the ends of the base plate and extending in the direction of its length for supporting a coin signaling device.

3. In a telephone pay station coin collector including a housing containing a coin chute, a coin signaling device, and a conductor terminal mounting block, a metal bracket comprising an irregular shaped base plate secured to an inner face of the housing and having a plurality of spaced ears formed at right angles to the base plate at one end thereof for supporting the coin chute, a bridge portion formed on the base plate intermediate the ears and extending in the direction of the length of the base plate for supporting a coin signaling device, and an extension formed on and at right angles to the base plate at its opposite end and then at right angles to itself to provide a portion spaced from the plane of the base plate for supporting the conductor terminal mounting block.

4. In a telephone pay station coin collector ineluding a housing containing a plurality of devices, a metal bracket comprising a base plate secured to an inner face of the housing and having a plurality of pressed or struck out portions designed to support and predeterminedly position relative to each other and the housing the plurality of devices, one of said portions being formed to extend forward of the plane of the base plate and in the direction of its length for supporting a conductor terminal mounting block, said portion having an apertured exten sion thereon forming a cord guide, and an ear formed on and at an angle to the base plate at one side of said mounting block supporting portion effective as an additional support for the mounting block.

5. In a telephone pay station coin collector including upper and lower housings and a mounting plate therefor, the upper housing containing a plurality of devices, a metal bracket comprising a base plate secured to an inner face of the upper housing and having a plurality of pressed or struck out portions designed to support and predeterminedly position relative toeach other and the upper housing the plurality of devices, and an additional portion struck out on said ,base plate effective as a stop member for the upper housing when it is positioned on the lower housing and against the mounting plate.

6. In a telephone pay station coin collector including a housing having spaced inner side walls from which a plurality of devices, such as a coin chute, a pair of coin signaling devices and a conductor terminal mounting block are supported, cooperating opposed metal means predeterminedly positioned upon and welded to the inner side faces of the housing, each comprising an integral combination bracket having a base plate with a plurality of pressed or struck out perforated portions designed to support and predeterminedly position relative to each other and the housing the plurality of devices, each of the brackets having an alined portion for supporting one end of the coin chute, the opposite end thereof being supported on a portion on one of the brackets, each of the brackets having a portion for supporting one coin signaling device, one of the brackets having a portion extending at right angles to the base plate and then at right angles to itself for supporting the conductor terminal mounting block, and means cooperating with apertures formed in the devices and extending into the perforations of the bracket portions for securing the devices in position.

HENRY C. BAUM. 

